‘Alaskan Bush People’ Mourn Their Beloved Dog, Mr. Cupcake

Fans all over are sending messages of love and support to the Brown family we’ve all grown to love on the Discovery series Alaskan Bush People. Ahead of Season 13 of the series, fans knew this would be a hard year for the family.

But fans didn’t know how challenging it would be until a recent episode involved a crisis with the family’s dog. What happened to Mr. Cupcake? Unfortunately, it’s not good news.

Reality TV shows allow us to peek into the lives of people who live vastly different lives than we do. First, these shows followed celebrities. But since the docudrama reality TV has proven time and again to be successful, more shows were developed.

And that’s what introduced us to the Brown family. Airing on Discovery, the show follows a unique family who lives off the grid in Hoonah, Alaska. The show documents the interesting lives of Billy, Ami, Bear, Bam Bam, Bird, and Rain Brown — and their trusty, faithful dog, Mr. Cupcake.

Mr. Cupcake, a Belgian Tervuren, aka sheepdog, joined the family in 2015. He became a close member of the tight-knit family. He was a puppy when the Browns brought him into their lives, and he melted everyone’s hearts — including fans of the show.

He was also an official member of the family, even having his own bio on the Discovery channels official bios: “The newest, hairiest, and tenth member of the Brown clan is Mr. Cupcake, a spirited young pup who is eager for adventure and always looking for his next chew toy."

Mr. Cupcake is known for “being intelligent, protective, and family-oriented. All of the Brown kids were excited about this newest member of the family, especially Bird and Rain.”

In a clip from the Oct. 17 episode, fans learned of the devastating news that the family’s well-loved dog had died. In the scene, three gunshots were heard in the distance, which, according to the family, usually means there’s an emergency.

Bear and Rain ran as fast as they could, worried their dad, Billy, was having a medical emergency. Instead, they met up with their sister, Bird, who dropped to her knees crying.

“It’s Mr. Cupcake,” she said. “I’m sorry. He’s … he’s gone.”

When Bear asked what happened, Bird shared that she wasn’t sure what happened. “He just didn’t wake up,” she said.

Season 13 is an emotional season for fans who are invested in the Brown family. This year’s season will also document the death of dad Billy. He died on Feb. 7 after suffering a seizure

Discovery posted a tribute to Billy on social media the day after he died, writing, “We are devastated to hear of Billy Brown’s sudden passing. He has been part of the @discovery family for years — a trailblazer, a lovely man, and most definitely one of a kind.”

The network’s condolences continued, “Our heart is with his family and those that knew him and loved him as they deal with this devastating loss.” Season 13 of the series is dedicated to Billy.

Alaskan Bush People airs Sunday nights at 8 p.m. EST Discovery and Discovery Plus.